Sun suit



June 29, 1937. n. N. GOODWIN SUN SUIT Filed July l5, 1936 INVENTOR M/IPY NASH GOODW//V Patented June 29, 1937 STATES gisant ries 12 Claims.

Iln's invention relates to garments especially adapted for use by children as sun suits, as bathing suits, or combination sun and bathing suits.

The medical profession has long known of the 5 curative powers and healthful effects of sunshine. and the public in recent years has learned to take advantage of these benefits by exposing surfaces of the body thereto. Children in particular are in need of these health giving rays.

l0 An object of the present invention is to` provide a suit for children suitable for wear in public places which will permit exposure of as much of the body as is possible without transcending that fast disappearing custom known as modesty.

Anotherobject is to provide a suit which exposes all of the body of the wearer except the crotch portion and the front and back of the center portion of the body below the waist, leaving the thighs and the sides of the hips exposed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sun suit which may be manufactured at an extremely low cost r`both as to materials and labor, and sold at a price within the means of the poorest of families.

25 A more specific object is to provide a garment Y which may be quickly and easily manufactured from a single strip of cloth and a piece of elastic or other band for holding the garment on the wearer. Y

The invention may be readily understood from a consideration of the accompanying drawing which is to be considered only as illustrative of the preferred construction and design and in which- Figure l is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention in which the suit is shown as it appears on the wearer;

Figure 2 is a front view of the same embodiment, but illustrates a second type of band for lo holding the suit upon the wearer;

Figure 3 shows a strip of goods from which the suit illustrated Figures l and 2 may be made having fold lines and stitch lines indicated thereon;

Figure 4 is a cross section through the center of this embodiment illustrating the folds of the cloth having yet a dii-ferent type of waist band, the band being shown in elevation to illustrate a buckle;

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 is the stripof cloth with the fold lines .illustrated fro-m which the general construction of the suit of the second embodiment may be pro- Figure '7 is a section across any point of the crotch portion l 2 of Figure 5 illustrating the manner in which the crotch portion of this second embodiment is folded in order to give fullness thereto; and

Figure 8 illustrates still a third embodiment similar to the second embodiment in which the crotch portion will be made of double thickness.

In each of the gures stitch lines are illustrated by a series of dots and fold lines by a series of alternate dots and dashes.

With particular reference to Figures 1, 2 and 4, there is illustrated a waist-encircling band IU, an elongated strip of cloth Il having a crotch portion l2 connected to opposed portions of the band at i3 and lll. This crotch portion extends a sucient Idistance to reach the waist of the wearer both in front and in back and leaves the sides of the hips of the wearer exposed. The crotch portion preferably extends both in front and back past the band to form fabric edges I5 which serve not only to impart a more pleasing appearance to the garment but also serve to prevent lateral turning of the band; it also facilitates putting on and removal of the suit. The crotch portion I2 preferably passes under or inside of the band to form the fabric edges l5, which edges constitute folds in the strip of cloth from which the skirts It and il depend, said skirts preferably falling on the outside of the band. These skirts are made of sufcient length and width to cover or overle the crotch portion when the garment is being worn. The skirts may be made long not only because they add greater modesty to the suit but they also prevent the reverse side of printed goods from which the suit may be manufactured from showing.

The skirts are stitched to the crotch portion at a line I8 immediately below the position of the band I0. The edges l5 are maintained by a line of stitching I9 just above the band l2. Either one or both of the skirts in this embodiment are gathered laterally upon the band in order to eX- pose a greater portion of the sides of the hips of the wearer to the sun and also to improve its appearance. The gathers may be permanently retained by stitching in one or more places, for example, at 20, 2| and 22. In some instances, it is desirable to permit adjustment of the gathers, and in such case a skirt and/ or crotch portion is attached to the band at a single central place both in front and in back as at point 2 l. At one or more points the band is stitched at each of its edges to the crotch portion and/or the skirt portion in order to prevent lateral turning or twisting of the band. This stitching preferably runs completely across the band, as is illustrated in Figure 2.

With reference to Figure 3, the strip of cloth il from which the suit illustrated in Figures l, 2 and 4 may be produced shows the points at which the cloth is folded, the folds being illustrated by dot and dash lines at 23, 2li, 25, 2E, 2l and 23. Folds 23 and 24, and 2l and 23 serve for the production of the hems at the bottom of the skirts. Of course, if the end of the goods is a selvedge or is pinked, the folds Z3 and 28 are not necessary. The folds 25 and t 2t form the fabric edges l5 at the junction of the skirt portions and the crotch portion. The

dotted lines on this Figure 3 illustrate the preferred places where stitching is to occur, lines 29 and it constituting the stitching for the hems, lines 3i and 32 constituting the stitchingbelow v the band and lines 33 and 34 the stitching above the band which forms the fabric edges I5. The sides of the strip Il may be finished in any manner desired, as by hemming, rolling or pink-- ing.

In Figure l a continuous elastic band I is illustrated. Other means for connecting the sides of the cro-tch portion to form a supporting waist band may be employed, for example,V

fabric strips Ita adapted to be tied in bows or simple knots at the sides o-f the'wearer. Also, instead of having a continuous elastic band, there may be used divided bands of any type connected by a buckle lill) on either or bothY sides,

as is illustrated in Figure 4.

`fullness thereto and as Well greater comfort and coverage to the wearer. AThese inverted folds are illustrated more clearly in Figure 7 at 33a and Stia. When the center of the crotch `portion l2 is depressed during wearing, the folds 33a, and 34a extend upwardly to form sides. The number and width of folds may be increased or decreased as desired, narrow crotch portions naturally requiring more or wider foldsv to obtain the same amount of coverage. These folds are preferably stitchedto the crotch' portion and the skirts at the line i8 immediately beneath the bandv l A single line of stitching therefore may serve the dual function of attaching both the skirt and the folds to the crotch portion. Such construction imparts simplicity and economy to the manufacturing operation. As is illustrated in Figure 6, the suit of this embodiment may also be produced from a single strip of cloth which is cut, folded and stitched as shown. In

91 Figure 5 the edgesof the cloth are pinked,

whereas in Figures 6 to 8 they are not, ordinary hemming being employed. Y

YAn additional embodiment is illustrated in Fig-V ure 8 showing a single piece ofacloth cut in such manner as to provide a double thickness for the This double thickness serves a double function in preventing the cloth when wetted from adhering too closely to the body and also in providing a means forl covering the back side of printed goods with a front side thereby improving the appearance and saleability ofthe suit.

Either or both of the fabric edges l5 may comprise simple puckers as shown in Figure l, or they may be corded as shown in Figure 5.' The latter is of particular benefit in adding to the comfort of the garment when the elastic band vfits too tightly around the waist. The skirt portions at the bottom edges of the Yband and at the hems may also be corded if so desired.

Particularly attractive results may be obtained through the use of fabric bands or strips as shown in Figure 2 or of cotton ropes to be tied' at the sides by the wearer, but in'such case that portion of the bands under the skirt portions should contain elastic strips in order to obtain proper comfort to the wearer. That'portion of the bands beneath the skirts may bev reinforced by a piece of stiif material or belting which assists in preventing lateral curling of the band. The suit may be constructed from the most varied types of cloth and weaves, printed fabrics for the most part being preferred.

Although one of the primary features of the present invention lies in the economy of manufacture due in part to the use of a single strip 7) in illustrated but that it extends to all equivalent arrangements of parts and stitching coming within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A sun and bathing suit especially for children comprising means forming a waist encircling band, an elongated fabric strip connected to 0pposed portions of the band-means and of a size to extend between the` legs and cover the crotch and the front and back of the wearer below the waist while exposing his sides, said strip being of sunicient width in front to. 'cover most of the stomach below the waist and of sufficient width in the back to cover substantially all of the buttocks of the wearer whereby gathering ofthe strip between the buttocks is avoided,

skirt members permanently connected to said strip depending from the said portions of the band a sufficient distance,l to o-verlie the front and back parts of the strip when the suit is being worn, said means forming a waist encircling band being adapted to hold the suit on the wearer, said suit being producible from a single strip of fabric without forming a seam.

2. A sun suit for children adapted to permit the maximum allowable exposure of the body including the sides of the legs and sides of the hips to the rays of the sun, which comprises, a

long strip of cloth having a center lateral fold,

to form a crotch portion, said crotch portion being of a width adapted to cover most of the buttocks of the wearer and of a length to reach the waist, two end folds, the creases of which are adapted to lie at the waist of the wearer, two

skirt portions constituting the ends ofsaid strip depending from said end folds, said skirt portions being of a length and width to overlie the crotch portion of the suit while on the wearer, a band portion connecting with said strip substantially at the creases of the end fold forming a waistencircling member adapted to hold the suit in place o-n the wearer.

3. A sun and bathing suit especially for children which comprises a Waist-encircling band, an elongated strip of cloth composed of a center crotch portion of sufficient width to prevent gathering between the buttocks of the wearer having its extremities substantially within said band and of a back and a front skirt portion connected to said extremities and depending on the outside of said band, said crotch portion and said skirts being stitched to each other at a line immediately beneath the band, said band being stitched at one or more points upon each of its edges to the strip adjacent thereto whereby lateral turning of the band is prevented.

4f. A sun and bathing suit especially for children, which comprises a single elongated strip 'of cloth having a center portion adapted to extend from the crotch to the waist line both at the front and at the back of the wearer, said center portion being of sufficient width to cover most of the stomach below the waist and substantially all of the buttocks of the wearer whereby gathering between the buttocks is avoided, skirt portions constituting the two ends of said strip of cloth depending from the ends of the crotch portion at the waist line and extending a surlcient distance to cover the crotch portion, and means connecting the sides of the ends of the crotch portion at the waist line whereby the suit is supported on the wearer.

5. A sun and bathing suit especially for children which comprises a waist-encircling band, an elongated strip of cloth composed of a center crotch portion having its extremities substantially within said band and of a back and a front portion connected to said extremities and depending on the o-utside of said band, thereby covering the crotch portion, and lateral gathers in said skirt and crotch portion fastened at the band whereby a greater portion of the sides of the hips of the wearer is exposed to the sun.

6. A sun suit as described in claim 1 which includes a fabric edge extending upwardly from the band adjacent the connection between the band and said strip whereby lateral turning of the band is prevented and putting on and removal of the suit is facilitated.

7. A sun suit as described in claim 1 wherein the band is an elastic band of substantial width and the fabric encloses the band and is sewed together closely adjacent marginal edges thereof as well as by stitching extending across the band whereby lateral folding of the band is avoided.

8. A sun and bathing suit especially for children which comprises an elongated single stripof cloth composed of a crotch portion extending upwardly to the waist line of the wearer, inverted free folds along the sides of the crotch portion on the upper surface adapted to give fullness thereto, two skirt portions constituting the end portions of said strip adapted to extend downwardly in front of the crotch portion, and means at the waist line connecting the sides of the crotch portion to form a supporting waist band.

9. A sun and bathing suit especially for children which comprises an elongated single strip of cloth composed of a crotch portion extending upwardly to the waist line of the wearer, inverted free folds along the sides of the crotch portion on the upper surface adapted to give fullness thereto, two skirt portions constituting folded end portions of said strip adapted to extend downwardly in front of the crotch portion, said crotch portion, saidl skirts and said inverted folds being stitched together at a line immediately below a waist-encircling band passing in the folds between the skirt and the crotch portions.

10. A sun and bathing suit especially for children which comprises a single elongated strip of cloth having a center crotch portion of double thickness formed by a projecting portion of said strip folded back laterally of said strip, said crotch portion extending upwardly both in front and in back to the waist line of the wearer, the ends of said strip forming skirts depending from the waist line and covering said crotch portion, and means at the waist line for connecting the sides of the crotch portion.

1l. A childrens sun and bathing suit consisting of an elongated strip of cloth including a crotch portion adapted to extend from the Waist of the wearer in front through the crotch to the Waist in the back, said strip being of sufcient width to cover substantially all the buttocks of the wearer, means forming a waist-encircling band adapted to hold the suit on the wearer, means at the waist band for holding the sides of the ends of the crotch portion apart whereby gathering of the crotch portion between the buttocks is prevented, skirt portions in front and back depending at the waist band adapted to cover the crotch portion when the suit is worn, said suit being producible from a single strip of fabric without forming a seam.

12. A childrens sun and bathing suit consisting of a waist-encircling band, 4a single strip of cloth composed of a crotch portion attached to said band at opposed portions of said band, said portion being of sufcient width and attached to such band in such manner as to prevent gathering of the same between the buttocks of the wearer, skirt portions of substantially the same width as said crotch portion depending from said band a suicient distance to cover the crotch portion while the same is on the wearer.

MARY NASH GOODWIN. 

